Poland has announced a pause in its plans to supply the remaining Mikoyan MiG-29 combat aircraft to Ukraine. This decision stems from an unresolved agreement regarding the sharing of drone technology between the two nations.
Cezary Tomczyk, Poland’s Deputy Defence Minister, confirmed the delay during an interview with local media outlet Radio ZET. He emphasized that the handover of the combat aircraft remains stalled due to the terms surrounding a partnership focused on autonomous systems.
Poland is keen for Ukraine to uphold its commitments related to reciprocal access to drone technologies. This access is deemed crucial as Poland seeks to enhance its own unmanned aerial capabilities. Tomczyk reiterated, “The Poles have made it clear: as we build our drone capabilities, we would also like to be able to use Ukrainian capabilities, and we will transfer the equipment to Ukraine if the deal is finalized. Nothing has changed in this regard.”
Bilateral cooperation on this matter was first outlined last year when both nations agreed on a deal that would see Poland trade up to nine MiG-29s for Ukrainian drone and missile systems. These aircraft are approaching the end of their operational lifecycle and are being retired as the Polish Armed Forces modernize their fleet with advanced Western platforms, including FA-50s, F-16s, and F-35s.
Poland has previously supplied several MiG-29s to Ukraine as part of its military assistance following Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022. As of late 2025, reports indicate that Poland has around 14 of these Soviet-era jets remaining in its inventory.
Negotiations about the recent MiG-29 transfer are still in progress, but there has been no announcement regarding a specific timeline for finalizing the arrangement.
